ANIMAR is an animation film festival where the magic of animation comes to life. Guided by a passion for captivating visual narratives, the festival presents a free and diverse program that engages children, teenagers, adults, film and audiovisual students, professionals in the field, animation enthusiasts, and curious people of all ages.
The festival takes place in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in the North Zone, in the traditional neighborhood of Marechal Hermes — a territory deeply connected to the history of Brazilian cinema and also to suburban popular culture in its multiple expressions. The region is part of the cinematic imagination of the Rio suburbs: affectionately nicknamed "Marechalwood". It has been the setting for landmark productions of national cinema and a space where fundamental works and filmmakers circulated, such as Cacá Diegues, Arnaldo Jabour, and Tizuka Yamazaki, whose films helped to build a sensitive and social perspective on Rio de Janeiro and its neighborhoods.
Beyond cinema and the arts, Marechal Hermes carries a cultural identity that also extends to its popular gastronomy, present in the daily lives and affective memories of its residents. The traditional generous sandwiches, affectionately known as "podrões," are a symbol of gathering, conviviality, and flavor, as is the famous "barata de Marechal," officially recognized as a Material Cultural Heritage of the State of Rio de Janeiro, according to Law 9.692/2022, sanctioned in May 2022, which recognizes the tradition of the snack sold at the stall of merchant Ademar Moreira for over 30 years, near the neighborhood's train station—a mark of resistance and suburban identity that spans generations and local histories.
Marechal Hermes also stands out for its cultural vocation, housing historical spaces such as the Armando Gonzaga Theater, a symbol of the neighborhood's relationship with audiovisual media and the arts, and reinforcing its role as fertile territory for film production, exhibition, and training. By occupying this space — between screens, animated stories, popular flavors, and living traditions — ANIMAR reaffirms the suburbs as a creative center and celebrates animation as an artistic, educational, and transformative language, deeply connected to the territory that welcomes it.
